


Fracture

by Tziput13



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Diplomacy, Family, Family Angst, Family Feels, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26532760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tziput13/pseuds/Tziput13
Summary: Visiting Butterfly Castle should've been a nice chance to meet with old friends and dear family members for Jushtin. But plans change when he discovers about a family agreement he wasn't aware of, and he decides that it's time for him to act, no matter how hard it is to do so… and no matter the possible consequences.
Relationships: Eclipsa Butterfly & Solaria Butterfly, Jushtin Butterfly & Eclipsa Butterfly, Jushtin Butterfly & Solaria Butterfly
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Fracture

**Author's Note:**

> There is a significant change in terms of chronology in this story. I'm not sure what does the Magic Book of Spells use to keep track of time in Eclipsa's chapter, since there's no clear indication of what do the headers and numbers represent. Regardless, in this story, the events that took place during Eclipsa's youth take a bit longer to happen, which should make things feel more natural with the premise I am going for. Hopefully, this isn't too much!

Jushtin walked by himself in the long, silent corridors of Butterfly Castle. He was alone, yet his steps were heavy as he moved with haste, giving the impression he was being followed and wanted to get away from someone.

He _knew_ there was no one tailing him… there was no reason to think so. But tensions were high, ever since he'd decided to pay a visit to Butterfly Castle, and he guessed even before he arrived here. It wasn't like the war was worse here than anywhere else—it might have been true at some point, but by now the danger lurked mostly around the roads and the countryside, where unsuspecting travellers could be ambushed at any moment.

Yet, despite the danger, Jushtin had still wanted to take the chance. He _wanted_ to see his sister… and his niece.

He sighed. Since Eclipsa grew up, he'd noticed that between mother and daughter, once inseparable, a rift had managed to appear, one that had progressively gotten bigger and worse with time. He didn't know why; how could he, when he himself was stuck in the Spiderbite estates, where they had their fair share of issues caused by the war? The longer the war went on, the less time he managed to spend with his side of the family. Something that bothered him more than he showed.

He had just passed forty years of age by that point… and he couldn't bear the thought of separating himself from them. He cared about Solaria… despite everything that happened due to the war, despite what she _had done_ in the name of the war. And he cared about Eclipsa… despite the rumours circulating among the crowds concerning her use of magic, since she inherited the wand.

He was _not_ going to leave them alone if he could try to get to the bottom of whatever was wrong. And heaven forbid if he wasn't going to try!

He quickened his pace. He'd thought for some time when to make his move, but he was wasting it in the process—he couldn't avoid this matter, not anymore. Eclipsa usually rested in her room in the early afternoon after the regal lunch. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too bothered by his surprise visit.

When he reached the tower and started walking up the stairs that brought to her room, though, he slowly realised that not everything was going according to plan. First off, because Eclipsa was talking with someone inside her room. Second off, because he _knew_ who that 'someone' was.

' _Recluza…?'_

The initial worry disappeared once he realised who was paying a visit to Eclipsa. His wife knew about his intentions, they had talked about it more than once in the past, including the previous days while they stayed as guests in the Butterfly castle, so he expected her to understand what he was up to. Recluza was one of the people he'd learned to trust the most… if not the one he trusted _the_ most currently.

She also was better than him at handling Eclipsa—he was great at having fun with little baby Eclipsa and kid Eclipsa, but teenager Eclipsa had proved to be a challenge even for the night-out master that Jushtin was. At least, she enjoyed the help he could give her at math.

Still… he could only hope she'd try not to evade the questions he was going to ask her.

Jushtin finally reached the entrance. Out of habit, he fixed his hat—old clothing choices were hard to let go—before raising a hand and knocking on the door. No use waiting for the right moment.

"Come in," came Eclipsa's voice. He took in a short breath, then his determined face left space for a smile. He put a hand on the handle and pushed forward, entering the room.

Eclipsa's room looked basically the same he could remember from the last time he and Recluza had managed to visit the castle, months ago. Huge bed, various flowery pots placed around, an impressive desk with a mirror for make-up sessions, and purple shades decorating and colouring most of it. Eclipsa and Recluza were sitting on the bed, both of them with their legs crossed and facing each other, though they were looking in his direction.

As soon as they recognised him, though, Eclipsa jumped out of the bed and rushed at him like a forest panther tackling its prey. "Uncle Jushtin!" she cried, and he braced himself to receive her hug and not to tumble down. As much as he wouldn't have minded it, his back probably would've minded it _a lot._

She embraced him without hesitation and he lifted her a little from the ground. "Hey there, sweetie. How's my favourite niece doing?"

"I'm your only niece," Eclipsa grunted, her face still nuzzled into his shoulder.

"Well then, looks like your math skills are improving then," he laughed, finally lowering her in order to release her. When Eclipsa finally decided to let go, she was pouting.

"Oh, don't give me that look," Jushtin said. "That doesn't change the fact you're still my favourite little young relative. It's not like you have that much competition in the family."

"Hey!" Recluza had by then turned around to look at them. "I'm still here, you know!?"

"Sure you do, honey," Jushtin tipped his hat at her with fake reverence. "Thankfully, you come from the good side of _that_ family."

Now Recluza was the one pouting, but at least he'd managed to get Eclipsa to chuckle. Besides, she knew he was right.

He always felt like that the little girl at one point would refuse to meet him or even spend time with him at all, when he managed to get to visit her. It was a fear that nagged him more and more as he got older… but today as it had already happened various times in the past, the fear had proved to be an unfounded one. She was _always_ happy to see him, and he couldn't even begin to describe how grateful he was for that.

Unfortunately… he couldn't say the same about Solaria.

Somehow, his face had betrayed him, because now both Recluza and Eclipsa were looking at her interrogatively.

"Uncle? Is everything all right?" Eclipsa asked. Realising he had been distracted, Jushtin shook his head.

"Oh, nothing, sorry, I was daydreaming for a moment. I… I have a lot on my mind. And, you know… it's not easy to always stay put in these trying times."

"Tell me about it!" Eclipsa said, before moving towards a nearby chair. "Three days ago, I just wanted to go and talk with you, but mom was adamant. 'We will give the 'Spiderbites' a proper royal welcome,' she said! Well, there are just some Spiderbites I care about more than the rest!"

"Well… you know her, Eclipsa. She can indeed be pretty stubborn, but that's why I am here now, without any regal ruleset holding us back," he replied. Eclipsa pushed a chair over to him.

"Thanks," he said, accepting the offer as he took off his hat and put it over the nearby desk. He'd learned to appreciate the chance of resting his back more and more lately.

Ugh… he was getting old, was he?

Or perhaps, it was just everything taking its toll on him.

"So… what were you two confabulating about before I came here? Did I interrupt something?" he said, breaking the ice.

"Nothing in particular," Eclipsa said. "Aunt Recluza just wanted to visit me as well, I guess. We were just talking about your journey from the Spiderbite Forest. But now that I think about it… why didn't you two come visit me together now, though?"

Recluza glanced at him for a moment. When he looked at her, he knew she already understood what he wanted to do.

"I… needed to take care of a few things in town after lunch. Nothing that could stop me from paying a visit, that is." Not a complete lie.

"Hey… don't you tell me you're trying to organise some night party again!" Eclipsa said, pointing an accusing hand at him. "Mom would vaporise you if she knew! Auntie, is he still up to that stuff?!"

"Well… he isn't… as far as I know. Do you, Jushtin?" even Recluza was now looking at him with a suspicious glare.

"Oh, no, you can calm down, you two. I just wanted to see an old friend of mine, the only one who's still alive," he explained, dismissing their worries with a hand wave. "Good old Sazmo just isn't going to kick the bucket any time soon. Dude's still as healthy as ever and, believe me, he _tried_ to convince me to join in a last night shift to relive the good old days. But I'm afraid I'm just not fit enough for something like that. Not to mention it'd be quite rude."

Both girls let out a sigh of relief, though he guessed they did so for different reasons. Recluza didn't exactly appreciate his habits and she was thankful he'd lost interest on social circles like the one he had in Mewni when he was younger, as he went to live in the Spiderbite Forest. As for Eclipsa, he imagined she was just thankful Solaria wasn't going to turn him into a human torch.

"In any case… no, I wasn't up to anything remotely dangerous if that's what bothered you, Eclipsa," he concluded. "Now that we're both up here though, and that your Aunt has already told you enough about our travel, it's time you tell us something about yourself. How have the past few months been, Eclipsa?"

There. Here it was. Her awkward smile, charming yet unnatural. As much as she tried… she couldn't trick him. He'd known his niece for too long. She was forcing herself to smile.

"It's been… great. Mom has been able to keep the war away from the castle for a long while lately, so we've been… relatively left in peace. I guess that's better than being under siege."

"It is, sweetie," Recluza said. "This castle has spent way too many months encircled by the enemy with no way in or out. I'm happy to hear that this is no more the case now that you're all grown up."

"I think so…"

"Believe me, it is better this way," Jushtin said. He spoke from experience, since he'd had the unfortunate chance to learn first-hand, how it felt to live in a castle under siege by a horde of monsters, years ago. Eclipsa was very young back then and her regal status meant that she didn't quite get the brunt of the conflict, so she'd been saved the less pleasant details.

He wasn't so lucky.

That was one of the reasons why he participated in the Hekapoo Assignment, if he had to be honest.

While talking, he observed Eclipsa carefully. She looked away from Recluza to give him a glance, but when she realised he was looking at her inquisitively she averted her eyes. "I guess…" she let out.

Something was wrong, there was no doubt about it.

"Eclipsa… I need to ask you again. How are you _really_ feeling?"

"I'm… I'm fine, uncle," Eclipsa said. "Really, I am…" she looked at him, again with that smile he knew was very fake.

"Sweetie…" Recluza was still beside her. She placed a hand over her hand and held it. "You know you can tell us anything, if there's something that's been bothering you, right?"

Eclipsa kept her silence, suddenly finding interest on the floor, but she didn't retract her hand.

"We've noticed, Eclipsa, you know…" Jushtin added. "We know you haven't been feeling like yourself lately, even if we met rarely in the last year. We just want to help."

"But… I-I don't want to worry you… I don't want to… mother wouldn't appreciate it," Eclipsa whispered.

"Solaria isn't here," Jushtin stated firmly. "This is between you and us, and even then, you shouldn't be ashamed of your problems, Eclipsa."

"Seriously, sweetie," Recluza added, "we just want to make sure you are alright. If you want to vent a little, you can do so with us."

Eclipsa didn't answer immediately. She kept her eyes directed at the floor and Jushtin's shoes, and he knew she wasn't impressed by his fashion sense (too bad). But neither he nor Recluza stood up to leave—they simply waited for her to give a reply in silence.

"I-it just…" she started. "Oh, okay… Do, uh… do you guys know about Prince Shastacan?"

Jushtin looked at Recluza, but she was already looking at him interrogatively as he did.

"What does that bonehead have to do with you?" Jushtin blurted out.

"Jushtin!"

"Oh, give me a break, Recluza," he rebutted. "I recall you called that young man a no-good, husk of a Spiderbite some time ago."

"I, I didn't exactly… oh, I didn't just tell him that!"

"No, but you told me so," Jushtin smiled. A hearty chuckle came out of Eclipsa's mouth, which made them refocus on her.

The moment was short-lived, as Eclipsa's mood crumbled down once again. "It's about him, yeah…"

"Did he do anything?" Recluza asked. "I mean… he is pretty harmless, albeit a bit of a simpleton. Don't tell him or my cousin that."

Eclipsa smiled weakly. "No, no. He actually tries to be decent when he's around, though he fails miserably. He's not really my type."

She sighed, then looked at Jushtin thoughtfully.

"It's not really him as a person that's a problem… not as far as I know. It's… it's about mother."

Oh… _crap._

"Solaria?" Recluza dared to say.

"Yeah… about a year ago, she came to me and… she told me I was going to marry Shastacan."

It was as Eclipsa had just dropped a bombshell. Recluza let out a yelp of surprise, while Jushtin, after registering what he'd just been told, had to stand up and look away as he cursed under his breath.

"Why didn't she tell us anything…?" he said to himself. She turned around with a jerk, glaring at Recluza.

"Did you know anything?"

"No…" Recluza held the gaze of his angry husband, which made him relent as quickly as he'd become agitated. "I… I wasn't told anything by my cousin or any other of my relatives. I don't why…"

"Could she have decided this without telling them…?"

"Shastacan knows…" Eclipsa let out weakly. She was looking at the floor again, and Jushtin and Recluza both eased upon realising they've probably been making her tense with their banter. Jushtin sat down on the chair again to stay at the same level as her.

"He is trying to get to know me because he knows we _are_ going to get married. He told me so."

"But… why? I thought…" Jushtin didn't finish the sentence. He looked at Recluza, who right know placed a reassuring hand on Eclipsa's shoulder. Her niece was trembling, something he'd rarely seen her doing.

There had been a time where he'd accepted to marry Recluza because Mewni needed allies, and he thought he needed to do the right thing for the sake of the kingdom and his sister, as well as the future of his niece. A time where he'd accepted to go live with a stranger just for the sake of diplomacy and state relationships.

He'd left behind that time long ago, and he did not want to bring those thoughts back.

But he did remember what Solaria had told him back then. "Marry Duchess Recluza, and this will reinforce our relationship with the Spiderbite Kingdom. They field a powerful army that would be of help for us, and we must put a stop to the relationship between them and the monsters that live in their forest, before they consider turning sides. You are the key, brother."

Was he?

"She told me why as well… mother, I mean," Eclipsa added. "She said it had to happen because she wanted to end the war, once and for all, and to do that she needed to secure the relations with the Spiderbite state. I… I asked her about you guys… you two getting married as well…"

"What did she tell you?" Jushtin asked mechanically. He was almost scared to hear the answer.

"I-it wasn't enough," she let out. "She said we need to _score_ a place in the family in the main lineage of the Spiderbites, and this was the only way to obtain it."

Jushtin stayed silent. He felt somewhat offended, even _betrayed._ What had changed since then? He may not have liked most of the Spiderbite family that much, except for Recluza, but for all he knew the same couldn't be said for them. They were very appreciating of the wedding between a Butterfly and a Spiderbite back then, and Recluza and him regularly visited the capital of their kingdom to remain in touch in them. He wondered just where that idea had come from in the first place.

But that could wait.

"Eclipsa…" Recluza said gravely. "We… we didn't know anything about this…"

"Gosh, of course we didn't. _She_ knew we wouldn't be alright with it," Jushtin said. He passed a hand over his face, trying to calm himself down. What was he going to tell her? When Solaria took a decision, it was final. He needed to do something about this though…. he couldn't just let it happen.

"Uncle… it's not just that, though…"

Recluza and Jushtin looked at her again.

"I… I understand mother. I understand what war is about," she said, "and if having to marry Shastacan means that we can finally end the war and be in peace… I can accept that. It's what you did when you married Recluza, right?"

"Yes…" Jushtin admitted. But he looked at his wife again.

He didn't know anything about Recluza, and she was still a stranger to him when they got married. It was basically by luck, as much as he hated to admit it, that the two of them after marriage actually _fell in love,_ politics be darned.

But Shastacan… gosh, he knew Eclipsa well enough to have learned what kind of Mewmans she liked. Shastacan was, like, the exact opposite. Even an idiot would've realised this… apart from the Spiderbite prince himself, of course.

Solaria should have been aware of this. And yet… she didn't care?

"That's… right, sweetie. But still… when your uncle went to marry me, it was his decision. Are you sure this is fully yours?"

Eclipsa, once again, decided not to respond. Her silence was enough of an answer.

"Let's… forget about this for a moment," Jushtin said. "You said there's something else related to this. What is it?"

"I… I am in love, uncle."

Well, the artillery barrage was getting quite insistent in that room.

Recluza and Jushtin didn't open their mouth, momentarily stunned by their niece's words.

"I am in love with a… man. And that man is not Shastacan!" Eclipsa said a bit more firmly. "I-I didn't tell mother, but I can't just simply forget about him. I can't…" she was tearing up.

"Oh, Eclipsa…" Recluza came nearer to her, and Eclipsa decided that she could forget about being regal for a moment and hugged her, burying her face into her shoulder. Recluza didn't seem to care about it, letting her release her feelings a little.

Jushtin watched in awe. It had been _years_ since he'd seen his niece cry. And this had been going for at least a year…

He couldn't leave her alone on this matter. He needed to do something for sure.

"Well… who's the lucky guy, then?" he said.

Eclipsa tensed up even if she was still in Recluza's arms. "I… I'd rather not…"

"It's okay, sweetie. It doesn't matter now," Recluza said, patting her back. She sent a glare towards Jushtin, who raised his arms in defence. He just wanted to know! He thought it'd distract her to talk about him.

However, Eclipsa finally pushed herself away from Recluza's reassuring hug. She sniffed, took a handkerchief out of her dress and cleaned her face off.

"I don't want to say his name… but, but I can still tell you that he's… he's amazing." Eclipsa said dreamily. "He's gentle, much more than you'd expect given his appearance, and… he can do things that few… men could do."

"Oh, wow, I'm jealous," Recluza grinned.

"Ditto," Jushtin added. The two women looked at him with surprise. "What? Everybody would want to meet a man with that description."

Eclipsa chuckled again, and even Recluza couldn't help smiling albeit she _tried_ to glare at him. Gosh, she was cute when she got mad.

"He really is something else, something… rare," Eclipsa explained. "But… I'm sorry I can't tell you more. But I really can't…"

"We understand Eclipsa, you don't have to worry about it," Jushtin said. It was clear that Eclipsa wanted to protect him from Solaria. Another issue with his sister: when she set a goal, nothing was going to stop her. And the obstacles met along the way?

They were to be _removed._

Jushtin thought about how to approach the issue for a moment before speaking again. "Eclipsa, listen. It may feel unfair. It may feel like you still have a duty towards Solaria. But don't let the events affect you, or even try to forget about your feelings. Love is about one of the few last honest things you can experience in Mewni… and whoever your main guy is, he doesn't deserve to be forgotten for the sake of a bonehead."

Recluza this time did not reprimand him.

"T-thanks…" Eclipsa said. She looked away for a moment. "It just feels like… I can't do anything about it."

"Have you told your mother, sweetie?"

"No!" Eclipsa suddenly said. "I mean… I don't think… I can handle her, her reaction. But I didn't tell anyone… not even Glossaryck. It just… it just feels like I am alone when it's about her. Glossaryck refuses to acknowledge her, and everyone else…"

"You are _not alone,_ Eclipsa, as long as I and Recluza exist," Jushtin stated firmly. If only Alphonse was still here… he probably would know what to do. If he had to be honest… he also knew what Alphonse would do in this situation.

"And I am going to show it to you right now," he stood up. "We are going to go talk to her, Eclipsa."

Eclipsa stood up without notice, and she grabbed his arm. "No, please!" she almost yelled. "She's gonna burn you to ash!"

Jushtin grabbed her in return, making her look at him in the eyes. "There's no way I am letting my niece go, after all she's told me, without giving her a little help in return, not when we can only meet every now and then. I want you to be _happy,_ and if that means confronting the so-called Monster Carver, so be it."

Recluza was by his side at that point, as she herself had moved. She gently took hold of Eclipsa's arms and moved them away from Jushtin's own. "Your feelings, Eclipsa, are something valuable, something you shouldn't be scared of experiencing, or even talking about. We will talk with your mother and try to explain to her that she's doing a mistake and discuss an alternative. It's the least we could do for our favourite niece."

Eclipsa's tears resumed sliding down her cheeks. She hugged Jushtin this time. "I-I don't think you can do it. Please…"

"Won't stop me from trying. And you know me… what are the odds? Four orders of magnitude below one?" he scoffed. "That still means it's above zero."

Eclipsa let out a wheeze, probably a mixture of a laugh that ended up conflicting with her sobs. "T-thank you."

Recluza hugged them as well, and they stayed like that for a few moments, until they felt Eclipsa was a bit more at ease. After that, they let her go.

"We should do it now, before Solaria gets in mind to go on a scouting mission by herself," Jushtin said. "Hopefully we'll be able to leave this behind us soon, Eclipsa."

She nodded. Recluza went to kiss her on the cheek, then they went to walk away.

"Wait…!"

Jushtin and Recluza stopped.

"Please… go back to me… after this."

They both nodded, and after that they were out of the room.

Jushtin immediately began to walk in the other direction from which he came, towards the military quarters of the castle. Recluza followed her for some time, but as soon as they were out of hearing range from Eclipsa's room, she stopped. "Jushtin, I know what you're going to say, but—"

"I am going, Recluza," he said firmly, "and I am going _alone."_

"Jushtin! She's gonna annihilate you!"

"She won't. I am her brother after all."

"You can't just expect me to let you go alone!"

Jushtin stopped walking. He groaned, then turned around.

"Recluza, listen… I'm not liking this either. But we can't risk you getting involved. Solaria doesn't like you, remember?"

"Yes, but… she doesn't like the other Spiderbites either."

"But she knows you are from another side of the family, and she might have thoughts about you I'd rather her not have." His brows relaxed for a moment, as he passed a hand over his face. She walked back to her, took off his hat, and gave it to her.

"I don't want anything happening to you. This is a matter between me and her mainly in any case… I can deal with her."

She looked away for a moment. Then, she frowned.

"Don't you dare not coming back to me in one piece, understood?" she said matter-of-factly.

He decided that a good kiss on her cheek would make her feel better a little. "Acknowledged, my lady. Besides, I think I've already tried to make you mad enough times lately."

She scoffed. "When did you become so sarcastic?"

"It had something to do with marriage," he retorted before turning away and resuming his walk. Thankfully, Recluza didn't make further attempts at following him. It was better this way.

In truth, he didn't know what to expect of his sister either.

* * *

"Loveberry is fighting another monster horde… here," Hekapoo pointed at a point in the north of Mewni, nearby the Sky Kingdom. "The horde is relatively small, so she should have no problem dealing with the monsters there."

"What about the south?"

"We've not seen movements from that direction, yet. There are some monster species that are not part of the northern horde, though," Hekapoo replied. "We think that something is up and that these unaccounted monsters may act sooner or later to make a separate move from there."

Solaria Butterfly frowned. "Let them come then…" she hissed. "We have more than enough forces to fight them back."

"My queen, it might be wise to send a message to General Loveberry to send here a patrol of Solarian Warriors," Omnitraxus suggested. "If we were to be taken aback, we might not—"

"We _won't,"_ Solaria said. "We've been cutting down the monster population for a long time, they can't possibly muster a good enough army to take the capital, not when a good chunk of it is already busy with Mina. If they want to make a move, let them come… it'll be a good chance to eradicate them all. Asking reinforcements from Mina will just slow us down."

The Magic High Commission members stayed silent. Even if they agreed with her, they knew better than to vocally suggest alternatives to Solaria after she shot down the first one. The queen had progressively grown more and more restless over the years, and by now she looked like she'd aged incredibly fast, but somehow her will to end all monsters had not dwindled one bit. On the other hand, she'd become more determined and irascible, and her decisions had become more and more extreme.

The longsword that had taken the place of her sword wand, since passing it down to her daughter, that she kept strapped on her back, was just one clue on the changes that concerned the queen.

Someone cleared his throat behind them. The group turned around, and sure enough, Jushtin Butterfly stood in the war room.

"Sorry to interrupt your… valuable discussions," Jushtin greeted them, "but I must talk to my sister. Now."

"That'll have to wait, prince," Omnitraxus Prime declared. "Our 'valuable discussions' are actually making a difference between the end and the survival of Mewni! Unless you have to put a good input in our discussion, you'd better leave and check on the Queen at another time."

"Yeah, right!" Rhombulus declared.

"Baaaaa…" Lekmet belated.

"Every second matters, prince," Reynaldo added. "There'll be plenty of chances to talk with the Queen, but now is not the time."

Jushtin eyed Hekapoo, but the master of portals kept her mouth shut. Something that he was mildly grateful for… Hekapoo had always barely tolerated Jushtin when he was younger, but she had begun to respect him a bit more since she, him and Alphonse took the diplomacy mission years ago, in the direst period of the war. Jushtin hadn't fully managed to become a full friend of her, if only for her insistence at acting hostilely towards Eclipsa for reasons he'd yet to receive an explanation for… but he could appreciate she didn't outright call her out like her colleagues.

Solaria on the other hand… was glaring at him, but also stayed silent at first, letting the commission members talk for her. He knew that it was a start, since if he were to be a random mewman subject she'd probably have already thrown him out while shouting.

Thank Glossaryck that she didn't have the wand anymore, or the shouting would've probably been accompanied with fireballs.

Not that not having the wand would've stopped her…

"What is it, brother?" she finally said after some seconds of silence. The Magic High Commission didn't dare speak further after the Queen had spoken.

"It is something _important,_ and we need to discuss it _now,"_ Jushtin replied, avoiding the details. He definitely didn't want the Commission to hear about Eclipsa's troubles. "Alone."

"Alone?! Do you know in what times do we live, prince?!" Omnitraxus Prime said, affronted. "We don't have time for your games, Jushtin! We need to—"

"Leave us alone."

The Magic High Commission members looked with surprise at the queen.

"Solaria…?" Hekapoo started.

"I said _leave us,"_ Solaria had her eyes closed as she leaned over the map. "We'll resume our meeting in half an hour. You are dismissed. Now get out of here."

The Magic High Commission members respected the queen's order, though some of them grumbled under their breath. Jushtin didn't miss Omnitraxus and Rhombulus also throwing hostile glares his way, while Lekmet and Reynaldo tried their best to ignore him, but he did not care.

What he cared about was Hekapoo's worried gaze. It was clear she wanted to know what he was up to, but Jushtin simply shook his head, and Hekapoo didn't dare stopping to interrogate him.

Shortly after, he was alone with the Queen.

"I really, _really_ hope this is important, Jushtin," Solaria said. "The only reason why I'm even choosing to listen to you is because you are my brother and you became more reasonable in the last few years."

"I had to come," Jushtin replied, walking to the table. He glanced at the map, where the names of the cities of Mewni were seen encapsulated by figures representing forts, armies and blockades for both sides of the war. The mewman ones were much more numerous compared to the monster ones. It really looked like the war was coming to an end, soon.

Jushtin just couldn't bring himself to actually believe that. But he closed his eyes for a moment, clearing his mind of those thoughts. _'I'm not here for that.'_

"What is it, then?" Solaria demanded. "Make it quick."

"It's about Eclipsa," Jushtin went straight to the point. "Solaria… you have to listen to me on this _carefully._ You must understand—"

"Jushtin…" Solaria growled. "You have twenty seconds."

He flinched at the ultimatum. "Understood. I'll be quick then… for starters, why didn't you tell me about your plans with the Spiderbites?"

For a moment, Solaria the Monster Carver was taken aback. It lasted a moment, but he still noticed it. "…you know?"

"Shouldn't I?" Jushtin didn't hide his bitterness. "Especially when it deals with Eclipsa?"

"You don't live here, do you?" Solaria rebutted. "In any case, this is a matter of diplomacy, not of family, Jushtin, and it was an agreement between all parties involved. I expected the Spiderbites to tell you themselves, soon enough. Didn't your wife tell you about it?"

"Recluza didn't know either, and you know there's bad blood running between her and the rest of the family."

Solaria scoffed. She directed her attention back to the map. "That's why we need to secure the Spiderbites' help further, Jushtin. They're among our most powerful allies, and we can't afford to lose them, not now, not we're this close. A marriage is not just our best option, it's our _only_ option."

"I won't discuss that…" Jushtin said, as he looked at the map. He knew what his sister was talking about, he'd already taken part in that conversation long ago, before he married Recluza. There was no use resuming that argument, not when he recognised Solaria had a point as far as strategy as concerned.

"Have you even… considered, what Eclipsa thought about this?"

Solaria looked up to direct her eyes at him. She wasn't pleased. "What did she tell you?"

"It doesn't matter," Jushtin evaded the question, "what matters is if you know how she felt about things, Solaria."

"Are you… discussing the decisions me and my daughter both took?" Solaria's face showed she was quickly losing patience.

"You're crossing a thin line, Jushtin. I _talked_ with Eclipsa about this, I explained to her every part of it, and she herself said she wanted to go through with it. She is mature enough to make her own decisions, and enough to understand what is better for Mewni."

Jushtin scoffed. "Solaria, did you even try to _listen_ to her? Have you even considered that she told you what she believed you wanted to hear?"

He saw her closing a fist on the table, not replying for some seconds. Then, without a word, she walked around the table until she was right in front of him. Solaria was only slightly taller than most mewmans, but when she was angered, she _always_ gave the impression of being towering and imposing. Jushtin was no exception to that rule, yet he still stood defiantly.

She put a finger on his chest. "Are you _implying_ she lied to me?" she growled.

"No, I am implying that you might be missing the bigger picture, Solaria," Jushtin replied. "Your daughter… gosh, I'm not even talking about this last visit, for the love of Glossaryck. Solaria, Eclipsa hasn't been acting like herself for a _year!"_

"How is that surprising? This war has been affecting all of us, Jushtin, even me…" Solaria suddenly confessed. "This might just be a sacrifice, but it's one we, _she_ has to make to put an end to the monsters!"

Jushtin was not in the mood to hear about Solaria's raving about monster eradication. Yet, she continued. "Eclipsa knows about the situation, and she accepted this by herself, by her own will. She knows the cons, but she accepted to do it anyway because she is mature enough to understand why it is a good choice to do it, and I won't doubt her… not now, and not anytime soon, Jushtin. You better not question my or her judgement again!"

He shook his head. "Do you even listen to your own words, Solaria?"

"Do you even care about Mewni?"

"Do you even care about your own _daughter!?"_

Silence.

"Excuse me for asking what should be a perfectly understandable postulate, worthy of the simplest of geometry rules, but _no,_ I had to ask you that. Because _you_ are ignoring her, Solaria. You are refusing to see the obvious. You are blind to her troubles, to what she's been going through, and what it meant to ask her at such a young age, as her mother, to marry a fool like Prince Shastacan!"

More silence, but Solaria didn't look away, not even for one second. Jushtin didn't stop.

"Can't you see? Can't you understand just what have you forced your daughter into, Solaria, how she's felt for so long? _I_ noticed and, you said it yourself, I _don't even live here._ Why, why are you not—"

" _Enough!"_

Jushtin respected the order. It was something beyond his will, beyond what he actually wanted to do. He wanted to keep talking, he wanted to show Solaria why she was wrong and needed to reconsider, why what she was doing was hurting Eclipsa. But he knew that look. He knew what that look meant.

"You have no _right_ to judge what I see or not in Eclipsa. You have _no right_ to dispute my or even her decisions, and you have _no right in hell_ to dare and tell me I am ignoring her!"

He opened his mouth to protest, but Solaria was faster. She seized him by the neck and pushed him down the table. For all his courage in standing up for his niece's sake, Jushtin could now distinctly recognise an emotion going right through his spine. Fear.

"I would have already _dealt with you,_ if you were not my brother… and married with a Spiderbite. However, I still won't _tolerate_ another word from you on this matter."

He wheezed out, his breathing becoming more difficult due to the pressure on his windpipe. Solaria didn't care, or didn't show to care—in either case, she pulled him up and threw him across the room. She didn't outright fling him like she was in battle, but Jushtin wasn't prepared regardless and still barely stood on his legs as he controlled his momentum and coughed for air.

"Get… _out… of my sight."_

Despite everything, while still coughing, Jushtin still looked back. This time, though, he wasn't glaring and he wasn't frowning. His face was contorted into an expression of distress and betrayal, but most importantly, questioning. Wondering if really this was going to be the end of it. If Solaria didn't really listen to what he'd tried to say.

Solaria opened her mouth, but she hesitated. For a moment, that face of his must have had an effect, because she didn't speak, her eyebrows raised, her eyes wide. Then, the scowl returned, along with her fury.

" _Out of here!"_

Jushtin stepped back after that last remark. Then, he turned around and left the room in defeat. Thankfully, the Commission had not stayed around, so he did not have to explain to them anything, as his mind was a vortex at the moment, a chaotic mix of ideas and emotions combining with each other and making him dizzy.

The only clear thought, in lieu of everything, was a question. A question he knew he could never hope anytime soon… if ever.

What had happened to his sister?

And why did this fracture even have to happen?

* * *

When she heard footsteps, Recluza stood up in the guest room that had been assigned to her and Jushtin. She wondered if she should've taken the knife she kept with herself while travelling, but she removed that thought from her mind. She didn't want to think this way. She didn't need it.

The footsteps were quick, and for a moment Recluza thought that Solaria had sent a guard to retrieve her. Instead, the figure of her husband appeared beyond the opened door.

"…J-Jushtin!" she ran up to him and trapped him between her arms. Jushtin resisted at first, as if he wanted to keep going, but Recluza's words made him stop. "I w-was so worried…"

He put his hands on her cheeks and gently pushed her face upwards to look at him. "Why?"

"I… I was just… Solaria…"

She wasn't wrong.

"I'm all right, Recluza, I'm all right… it-it didn't go well… but I'm back in one piece, as your requested."

"You idiot…" she hugged him again and tightened her grip. "I thought I heard her scream… I t-thought…"

"You did?"

"I don't know…"

He shook his head. "Listen, Recluza… I share your worry, actually. I think… we need to pack up and get out of here."

Recluza sniffed a little, then separated from him. "Now?"

"Yes. I can convince Hekapoo to lend us a pair of dimensional scissors, I'm sure she won't discuss things if we don't mention why I argued with Solaria. She owes me one."

Recluza nodded. "What about Eclipsa…?"

Jushtin grimaced. "Eclipsa… ugh."

He let himself fall on the bed and buried his face in his hands. Eclipsa… for crying out loud, he forgot about her. She'd asked them to not leave her alone just before they left her…

He decided to study the situation analytically, as he usually did when he couldn't solve things normally. But no matter how many hypotheses he tested, no matter how many scenarios he proposed, the ending was always the same. She and Recluza were going to get caught and end up at the mercy of the queen, or they might get caught while with Eclipsa, which might get even his niece in trouble.

No, he might have been willing to risk sacrificing the relationship with her sister for the sake of Eclipsa, but he didn't want Recluza to pay for his mistakes—and he sure didn't want to put Eclipsa through more distress than she already had to. Simply put, there was no solution to this problem.

They needed to leave now… even if it meant not saying goodbye to her.

He raised his head. Recluza was already starting to empty their wardrobe. He appreciated she let him have his moment… though he wondered if she was trying to distract herself from the matter.

He didn't blame her.

"Recluza…?"

She froze, then turned to regard him. "Yeah?"

"We… we can't say goodbye to her. I'm sorry… but we can't. It's too risky for you or even her."

Recluza closed her eyes, then sighed. A lone tear went out of her eye. "…okay. I… I understand."

"I'm gonna go look for Hekapoo while you prepare our things. The least we stay here, the better."

She nodded, and with that he left their room to go look for the master of dimensional scissors. He knew Hekapoo good enough that he knew where to look for her, since he expected the war room meeting to be postponed. Hopefully, by the time he was back with a pair of dimensional scissors, with his help they would be ready to leave in no time, before Solaria decided they were too dangerous to be left free.

He gritted his teeth as his thoughts ran back to Eclipsa, his niece.

' _I-I'm sorry, Eclipsa… I'm sorry I couldn't help you, sweetie. I hope you'll understand.'_

* * *

Solaria wasn't particularly surprised when Rhombulus, returning with the guard patrol she'd sent to detain her brother and her wife, told her that they had seemingly disappeared. She knew her brother wasn't stupid… it took a good mind to be good at math, after all.

But regardless of whether she had failed to capture him or not, her actual goal was slightly different: keeping him away from her daughter. If he skedaddled by himself… good. Knowing how he did it was relatively unimportant.

"What do you mean?!" Rhombulus protested when the queen dismissed him and the guardsmen. "Why aren't you asking us to pursue him? He's a traitor, right? He's got to be caught and cryst—"

"Rhombulus, I will use the crystal breaking spell _on you_ if you dare question my orders again! Is that clear?"

Rhombulus whimpered in fear before nodding vehemently, then he turned on his heels to get out, followed hastily by the mewman guards. Soon, the queen was once again alone in the war room.

She didn't plan to spend any more time in that place, though, as something else occupied her mind.

She left, walking quickly towards the sleeping quarters of the castle, towards the tower chosen by her daughter to live in.

As much as she was trying to ignore it… Jushtin had at least managed to put a dent in her convictions, her belief that there were no secrets between herself and Eclipsa. Because… as much as she was furious about her brother's behaviour… he was still her brother, the same Jushtin Butterfly who rarely did get angry or defiant in the first place.

He'd played his part in the monster conflict, but he was never one for the battlefields… and up until now, Solaria believed all he cared about was the well-being of his wife.

…and of Eclipsa.

She gritted her teeth while opening and closing her right fist, trying to release the tension. It wasn't very effective, but it was better than nothing. She definitely didn't want to explode in front of Eclipsa.

Soon, she was right there in front of the door to Eclipsa's bedroom. She tried to open the door, but she found out it was locked.

"Eclipsa, open the door," she said unceremoniously.

"Mother?" Eclipsa's voice seemed alerted, but nonetheless she heard her steps getting closer. When the door was opened, Solaria found her daughter looking at her with a half-surprised, half-saddened expression.

"H-hi…" Eclipsa muttered, looking elsewhere. She abandoned her, going back to where she was standing before—the window. She rested her elbows on the edge and looked at the royal garden below.

"I've come to visit," Solaria explained, walking into the room after closing the door behind herself. She didn't comment on her daughter's behaviour. She could put two and two together.

"What did you hear about?"

"I saw Lekmet and Reynaldo leading a guard patrol into the garden. I heard them asking one of our gardeners about uncle…"

' _So… she already knows.'_

Her daughter had always had a way too good ear, even better than hers. Now what?

"Eclipsa… we had no choice."

"What did he do, mother? Why have you tried to capture him?!" she turned back with a jerk. Eclipsa didn't seem angered, but she sure looked hurt, almost desperate.

"I didn't…" Solaria shook her head. "Listen, Eclipsa, Jushtin has… he's tried to put his nose where he shouldn't have. I was not going to put him in custody and drop the key away. All I wanted was to see him gone from the castle."

She eyed Eclipsa as she talked, studying her reaction. "I've already received the report from the Magic High Commission that he's already left along with his wife. That… for now, is enough for me."

Eclipsa couldn't help releasing a sigh. "So, he and aunt are okay…" she said.

Solaria walked up to her to put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Listen, Eclipsa… Jushtin has told me something about you. I need to know why that happened in the first place. Has he tried to influence you?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"I mean, did he try to make you change your ideas? About anything, concerning the near future?" Solaria spoke with firmness, but in her eyes there was only worry. "I need to know if my brother has tried to pull something off on you."

"He… he did not, mother!" Eclipsa replied, suddenly abandoning her hesitance. "He visited me with Recluza, and we just… talked about how things went lately in the castle. About what I was going to do."

"So, you told him about our plans with the Spiderbites."

"…yes." Eclipsa looked down, in shame. Solaria simply nodded, before taking her hand off her shoulder.

"Eclipsa, you don't have to worry about this. Not even I knew your uncle didn't know, and I guess that once he heard about it… he just acted on a whim," she reasoned. "You couldn't know what consequences telling him would have caused. However… what he tried to do still cannot be tolerated, regardless of his motives. You understand that?"

She nodded.

"And this incident is not going to change our plans with the Spiderbites, as far as I am concerned. Does that apply to you as well?"

"Yes, mother."

Solaria nodded. "That's good to hear. I'll leave you al—"

She stopped mid-sentence.

' _Do you even listen to your daughter?'_

"…wait."

Eclipsa lifted a closed hand to her chest, as if trying to control her own heart. Solaria closed her eyes, then cursed lowly.

"…do you mind," she looked at her again, "if we both sit down on your bed, Eclipsa? We… we need to talk for a second."

"…no, mother, I don't," Eclipsa said, though her body language said otherwise.

…how long had it even been since she'd called her 'mom' instead of 'mother'?

Only now did she realise, she'd spent less and less time with her daughter, as she grew up and became more independent. She had just chalked it up to her becoming less in need of her attention, but now…

It was the war, the war that took all of her time and energy away. If only she could put an end to it, a _definitive end,_ then this would all become a memory.

In her rambling thoughts, she didn't even register following Eclipsa and sitting beside her on the bed. "I'm here, mother."

Solaria nodded. "Forgive me, I was… thinking. We need to talk about what happened today, but most importantly, about you."

Eclipsa stayed in silence, her face neutral. Solaria couldn't help putting a hand over her shoulder again, but this time she tried her best to be softer and more reassuring.

"Eclipsa… you know I care about you, right?"

The fact that her daughter's first reaction was coughing didn't reassure her. But Eclipsa immediately recomposed herself to look at her in the eyes.

"Of course…"

"I, I know that what happened today with Jushtin… you were not going to appreciate it, I always knew that. But what he did was unacceptable, for both of us. Eclipsa…"

Solaria observed her daughter's face. Her purple-ish cheeks, equipped with her clover cheek marks. Her short, well-combed hair. Her thoughtful, always attentive eyes.

"I know we talked about this, already. But I need to know. Do you feel alright about the war? About the Spiderbites and our plans with them? About the planned marriage?"

Solaria tried to find something in Eclipsa's eyes. The slightest hint of hesitance, the possible clue on some well-hidden emotions and feelings that, somehow, she might have missed.

She found nothing of that.

"No, mother. I… I know how important for the reign the marriage is. I know that it's almost essential for us to put an end to the war finally be in peace."

Eclipsa nodded to herself. "I know all of that, _mom._ And I am willing to go through with it."

Solaria smiled. "That… reassures me. I knew you'd be confident enough to take this test in stride, Eclipsa. I'm proud of you."

Eclipsa smiled back, though her smile relented for a bit. "I… I just hope… will we be able to see Jushtin again? At least… after the marriage, mother?"

Solaria pondered over it for a second. "Perhaps. He crossed the line, today… but when everything will be done with the Spiderbites, perhaps after the war will be over, I'll consider letting him into the castle again… and you'll meet him again by then."

"I… appreciate that, mom."

Solaria couldn't hold herself any longer. She leaned in and hugged her, though she had to ease her strength a little when Eclipsa coughed due to her breath being lost.

Whatever Jushtin had found out, it couldn't be any farther from the truth. She had no reason to dispute her own daughter's words, not now, when she had a heart-to-heart talk with her, confirming what they had already come to terms with months ago.

Eclipsa wanted this just as much as Solaria, and there was nothing disturbing her on the matter. Marriage was just a tool, after all. And the only love that mattered, was the one for her precious daughter.

She'd become a good queen.

**END**


End file.
